KARACHI, Jan 8: Pakistan hockey team captain and fullback Zeeshan Ashraf, half-back Mohammad Tauseeq and young cricketer Sarmad Bhatti have been awarded and honoured by their department National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).

The simple ceremony held at the NBP Sports Complex in Clifton on Saturday saw the bank’s Head of CSR Division Iqbal Qasim, on the directive of bank president Ali Raza, hand Rs500,000 each to the hockey players who were part of the team that won gold in the 16th Asian Games hockey event.

Sarmad Bhatti was part of the cricket team, which won bronze in the men’s cricket event. He was presented with Rs50,000.

The bank also announced a substantial raise in the salaries of these players.